Built in the 13th century, the church of San Pietro was originally dedicated to Sant’Antonio Abate. It was renamed after San Pietro only in 1815, when the Confraternities of San Pietro and Paolo and San Sebastiano and Rocco joined their seat there. The church is located outside the city walls near the ancient gate of the castle, where today there is one of the most beautiful panoramic views of Città della Pieve overlooking the Chiana valley and the Mount Cetona.
The building has a single nave with a bell tower next to the facade and a sacristy. At the beginning of the 16th century the church passed to the Society of the Disciplinati of San Salvatore and underwent some restoration works.
In 1508 the same society commissioned Perugino to paint the fresco depicting Sant’Antonio Abbate between San Marcellino and Pietro Eremita, which decorates the back wall.
In 1861 an earthquake damaged part of the fresco so it was transferred onto canvas to save it from further damage. The detachment operation, however, did not succeed perfectly and the work deteriorated further.
The fresco has been restored many times, the last restoration was in 2004.
